Cigar Ribbon Quilt
1880s
Medium
Silk, plain weave; screen printed, stenciled, and/or stamped ribbons; pieced and embroidered with silk in feather stitches; underlaid with cotton, warp-float faced 2:1 twill weave and batting; backed with silk, plain weave; machine-stitch quilted with silk
Dimensions
166.4 × 165.1 cm (65 1/2 × 65 in.)
Classification
textile
Department
Textiles
Museum
Art Institute of Chicago
Accession Number
148872
Art Historical Context
Step into the vibrant world of 19th-century American domestic artistry with the *Cigar Ribbon Quilt*, stunning textile from the 1880s now housed in the Art Institute of Chicago's Textiles Department. Measuring a generous 65½ × 65 inches, this quilt transforms humble cigar band ribbons—colorful silk promotions discarded by smokers—into a mosaic. Pieced together from screen-printed, stenciled, or stamped ribbons, it showcases the era's booming advertising culture, where cigar companies vied for attention with eye-catching designs. Quiltmaking was a cherished tradition among American women, blen...
About the Artist
Unknown
The artist designated as "Unknown" in our virtual museum's collection exemplifies a poignant chapter in art history: creators whose identities have faded into obscurity despite the enduring power of their work. With only one known artwork attributed to them in our holdings, this figure represents countless anonymous hands that shaped visual culture across centuries. Museums worldwide, including th...